Stanislas Wawrinka, Australian Open Champion 2014.

Stanislas Wawrinka is the 2014 Australian Open Champion.

The Swiss defeated 2009 Champion Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4.

Few gave the Swiss, who went into the final 0-12 against the world number One, a chance. However the Swiss started the match with the spirit and aggression that earned him victories over Djokovic and Berdych to make the final, stepping into the court or attacking the net whenever his opportunities arose.

Such play earned the Swiss the lead in the first set as he broke at 2-1. The 15-30 point on which he ran down a Nadal volley and hit a winning backhand down the line passing shot was a warning he had legs, too, deceptively fast ones, and was in the mood to use them. Holding break point, he showed he also had quite the forehand, going toe to toe with Nadal on his favorite shot, even running around his backhand to hit a forehand down the line, a shot which set up another forehand right in his hitting zone. He ran into position, took a strike cross court, a strike loaded on pace and spin which forced an error from Nadal to secure the break.

Leading 3-1, Wawrinka did not fall victim to the nerves which have infamously got the better of him on big occasions. Instead, he kept up his high level, and on the biggest of occasions, too, his net play earning him another break point at 4-1, 30-30. But Nadal, who has been there and done that when it comes to Major finals, saved the point and took the game. The Swiss then stumbled somewhat serving for the set to go three break points down, but Wawrinka served himself out of trouble, an ace the final blow as he took the first set, his first ever against Nadal.

Wawrinka’s confidence high, he immediately broke Nadal to love in the second set with a winning backhand on break point. Wawrinka was flying now, all the way to a 5-1 lead. All the hard work of the last year, the work on his strokes, strategy and mind now sending him into the stratosphere of leading all time greats in Grand Slam finals. He held break points on the Nadal serve but Nadal fought them off with his very best ground game and it was left for Wawrinka to serve out for the set. He did, sealing his two set to love lead with another ace.

Two sets to love down, Nadal took a medical time out, leaving the court. Wawrinka was not amused, asking the umpire for the lowdown on Nadal’s injury, and the crowd were less than pleased, too. Nadal came on to court not to welcome back cheers but to what-are-you-playing-at? boos.

The time out unsettled Wawrinka. As did Nadal’s relentless driving from the back of the court. A forehand down the line winner earned Nadal a break point. He would not need to work hard to win it, either. Wawrinka came in on a short ball and netted a forehand.

Nadal, back problems or not, was back into the match. And he stayed ahead despite his opponent still producing his very best form, a backhand cross court angled winner at 4-1 Nadal a reminder to the Spaniard that he better not let down his guard for even a second. Nadal did not. The toughest player in the game fought Wawrinka off in a tight service game at 5-3 to take the set.

But Nadal’s guard could only take so much when confronted with a player of the strengths of Wawrinka on these faster courts. The Swiss put the loss of the third set behind him, getting off to the best possible start in the fourth set, winning his opening service game to love, a backhand painting the line for a winner putting him into a 1-0 lead. A sublime volley and he led 2-1. Then, with Nadal serving at 2-3, Wawrinka broke away from him, a punishing inside out forehand down the line winner for 0-15 setting the tone, and another one, from the forehand side, sealing the break.

The nerves though, no doubt caused by the presence of the 13 time Major champion on the other side of the net, surfaced now, and Wawrinka was broken to love in the next game, a wildly over-hit forehand aimed at a short ball the culprit.

But it proved to be only the most minor of slip-ups. In the next game Wawrinka benefited from his own aggression and his opponent’s lack of it as he was the one who came in and forced the issue. At 15-40, with Nadal choosing to stay back and rally despite chances to come in, the Swiss waited for his moment and then went for his shots, a forehand down the line once more paying off for him as he broke Nadal to serve for the title.

Wawrinka did it like a champion. Up 30-0, a second service winner out wide brought him 3 Championship points. A second serve down the tree produced a short ball. The Swiss came in and hit a forehand down the line. It was a winner.

Wawrinka was the 2014 Australian Open men’s champion.

The Swiss looked over at his team in amazed shock. He looked down, perhaps hiding the full extent of his joy, and raised his fist in the air, a reflex he could not control; a subdued celebration doused in respect for the condition of his opponent. An opponent whom he had bury his head in his shoulder before going to receive congratulations from his team.

Then the smiles came, big bright ones. From Stan, from his team, from the tennis world as it dawned on all of us something many of us had hoped for and now was real: Stanislas Wawrinka, the man with the beautiful backhand who was not afraid of the net, was no longer afraid of his talent, of success, of himself, and was the 2014 Australian Open champion.